There are also recipes to share. Let these images serve as a proper tease, and look for an update here in the next day or two for the full goodies....

In further news, come see me at the Family Food Fest next Sunday. I'll be a participating author sharing tips and tricks with a recipe from Kid Chef, and signing copies! It's March 4 at noon - bring the whole family to experience cooking demos, hands on cooking classes, fun food-related interactive activities and more, at the Brooklyn Marriott. Use code familyfood for $5 off the ticket price - full details here.
Hopefully by then, we'll start seeing glimpses of spring. I am r e a d y for it.

Sunday, December 17, 2017

Always game for a dense, terrific chocolate dessert, I brought this recipe over from a Donna Hay issue, to bake with my friend Jill a few weeks ago. After making a few tweaks it was out of this world, and prompted many hands raised online for "recipe please!"

Scroll down for the recipe.....................................

Each year I like to share a variety of inspired goods to live more beautifully, holistically, and functionally. This year's gift guide is more an outline for giving well into the New Year.

Over and over again in 2017 my heart has burst or broken.
The women's march.
The travel ban protests.
Drilling in the Arctic.
The go-ahead for Pebble Mine in Alaska.
Charlottesville.
Needless lives lost from an increasingly militarized police.
The #metoo outpouring.
Reducing and auctioning off of our Public Lands.
Innumerable wildfires, floods, droughts, and earthquakes.
Alabama winning for all Americans.

We can all do more to fight for good, for war-torn or climate refugees, for Nature and all her beloved creatures. Instead of turning away and feeling overwhelmed, I am connecting to Nature and humanity more, and in ways where I feel a real contribution. I've assembled a few organizations or causes I support here - ranging from responsibly caught wild salmon, to animal rescue in the most recent wave of California wildfires - as well as a few creature essentials - since eating well is a must while fighting the good fight.

1. The Minos Moka pot is my go-to for a daily brew. This solid stainless stovetop pot produces a lush, intensely flavorful coffee in just a few minutes, and I absolutely love it. I've arranged a promotional rate of 15% off any of the items in their catalogue if you want one for yourself. Use this code, good for one month: XMASMOKA.

2. Sea Legacy, founded by National Geographic photographers Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen. This pair travels the far corners of the world (and in a new campaign called "turning the tide," are inviting us to come with them) to document what is happening in our climate breakdown, and educate at-large on why exactly we need to protect ocean ecosystems. Giving options include beautiful printed art, as well as giving directly.

3. Food52, a community resource for all things delicious, as well as timeless, stylish, functional goods. I have a running list of objects to incorporate into my projects and love that they support American artisans.

4. Susie's Senior Dogs, an advocacy group for older dogs which I discovered through Instagram. Post-after-post of older dogs just waiting for humans to love unconditionally have provided me much laughter, some tears, and definitely a place in my heart for these incredible pooches. This sweet boy is Tupac and has stolen my heart with that gaze... One day I am going to adopt a senior dog and give them all the comfort and love they can handle.

5. Everyday Refugees is another group I discovered via Instagram. Through poignant, heart-wrenching images a squalid purgatory is revealed, where innocent children play and their families wait out days in hopes for a better life. Seeforyourself and give what you can to mitigate their time spent in these conditions.

6. Sonic Sea is an incredibly beautiful film which draws focus to the vast noise pollution in our seas. Which might hit you like "huh...." except for the fact that all large marine mammals such as right, humpback, and other whales, orcas, porpoises, and more, all use the sound carried by their songs to communicate the enormous distances they travel. When they cannot hear one another, they go silent, then become distraught, then they stop breeding and eventually, go extinct. Yes it is very dismaying, but there are many solutions to this problem! Gather a few friends and watch the film together. I promise it will be cathartic.

7. Humane Society of Ventura County is a shelter which has rescued and received countless animals through the most recent outbreak of wildfires. They are caring for a large number of horses, goats, and other livestock, as well as dogs, cats and birds. If you are in the region and can volunteer, amazing! If you are not nearby but would like to help, they have a Thomas Fire animal rescue fund to which you can donate, here.

8. Plastic Free Foodie 'Zine is a collection of colorful & delicious recipes contributed from over 60 Instagram food stars - there is a delicious chicory, spiced nut, and persimmon salad by yours truly - and produced by my colleague Christine Wong. After watching another cathartic film, A Plastic Ocean, she was moved to get people thinking more about single-use plastics so pervasive in our everyday lives. Where does all that stuff go, anyway?? The film is another stunning, beautifully produced insight to what's-going-on-in-the-world. All proceeds from this e-magazine fund the campaign to raise awareness, with the hope that we will shift our buying choices. Opt for reusables and natural materials in lieu of plastic, rigorously recycle, and make less waste in general.

9. The Pollinator Project is a simple way to help bees thrive: plant non-GMO seed packets wherever you can, enjoy the beautiful wildflower blooms, extend the range of butterflies and honeybees, who are an intrinsic presence in maintaining the diversity of our food.

10. Driftersfish for wild Alaskan salmon, a husband-wife duo who care about responsibly caught fish, so that we can rely on these incredible animals for our sustenance for decades to come. I visited them in Cordova this year and was struck by so many nuances: the use of different fishing nets based on the character - and color - of the water throughout the season; the recognition of indigenous fishing rights region-to-region; differing species of salmon throughout the season, and even witnessing the salmon for myself as they met their final path. (photos coming soon....!) You can order fresh or smoked fish at their store, and once you've feasted on their collection, discover which is your favorite.

11. Jessie Lazar makes thoughtful, functional ceramics, perfect for your every day. She is a native New Yorker - lucky for me, because that meant I could make a studio trip to drool over her collection in person! She is part of a large community of ceramic artists I cannot live without. Their beautiful works literally frame the food I produce and further the "handmade" quality I so prize on-set. Holding one of her bowls or mugs feels great, and makes the daily activity of eating special. One of her mugs is part of a special giveaway I am currently hosting on Instagram. Check it out!

Would love to hear your thoughts on any or all. Thanks for reading and finding your way to contribute!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a springform pan with parchment, fasten the collar, and butter all sides.

Place butter and chocolate into a double boiler placed over low heat and melt, undisturbed. Stir together to incorporate and set aside to cool slightly.

Place eggs, sugars, and vanilla in a medium bowl and whisk vigorously for a few minutes, or until frothy. In a medium bowl, stir together dry ingredients: flour, pepper, and salt.

Pour chocolate mixture into egg mixture and whisk to combine. Add flour mixture and stir until incorporated. Pour into lined springform pan and bake for 40 minutes or until just a couple crumbs cling to a skewer when inserted into the center. It should look fudgy. Allow to cool completely in the tin, set on a wire rack.

Place the butter, crème fraîche, confectioner's sugar, and cocoa in a large bowl. With an electric mixer on high speed, beat for 5 minutes or until fluffy and pale. If the frosting curdles, run a hairdryer around the periphery of the bowl as you beat to raise the overall temperature and reincorporate until silky. Add the black pepper and whisky/infused spirit and beat to combine. Taste and add more pepper or crème fraîche as needed. (the pepper serves as an accent, not an overall flavor) Use an offset spatula to spread over the cooled cake and cut into wedges to serve.

Jill and I fed it to our husbands, who groaned with delight between forkfuls. It was brought to a dinner party, where everyone enthusiastically nodded with approval. I fed the remaining slices to my parents visiting from out of town, to similar delight. If you make this cake, I want to hear about it!

.................................

One more thing - my book Kid Chef is a national best-seller! If you're contemplating what to get a foodie friend or kid, it makes a great gift. Any home cook who hasn't attended culinary school will learn something from the thorough explanations and break-down of processes throughout. Each recipe is truly good eating - no gimmicks or dumbed-down food, something for everyone's ability and taste. Links to purchase your copy in the sidebar at the top ^^^, as well as here, through Powell's independent books.

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Last year I put my foot down and stayed home so I could prepare a Thanksgiving meal worthy of the knowledge I've accumulated, instead of a mad dash to visit this-or-that family and, well.... not rejoicing in the special food I've grown to love.

To make the dough, pulse cocoa powder, sugar+salt, and 1¼ cups plus 1 tbsp flour in the bowl of a food processor to combine. Add butter+coconut oil and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pea-size bits of butter and coconut oil remaining. Add egg yolk and pulse until just combined. Drizzle vinegar, combined with a couple tablespoons of ice water, through the feed tube and pulse until just combined. Squeeze a clump of dough between your fingers: it should hold together but not be wet.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, flatten slightly, and cut into quarters. Stack pieces on top of one another, placing unincorporated crumbly pieces of dough between layers and press down to combine. Repeat process twice more (all pieces of dough should be incorporated at this point). Shape dough into a disk about 1 inch thick. Wrap in cellophane and chill at least 1 hour.

Roast pumpkin wedges on a rimmed baking sheet, rubbed with a little good olive oil, for 20 minutes or until beginning to become tender when pierced with a knife - there should be a slight resistance. Lower heat to 250 degrees and transfer pumpkin wedges to a smoker (or to an aluminum roasting pan, set on a roasting rack to separate the wood from the pumpkin, and sealed securely with aluminum foil). Smoke pumpkin for 30-45 minutes over a single layer of wood chips, or until smoky to your liking. Check after 20 minutes to ensure wood is smoking but not igniting. Add reserved soaking liquid as needed to keep wood chips from catching fire.

Let pumpkin cool fully, then scrape flesh from skin and mash with a fork until smooth. Alternatively, use a hand-held blender and purée. Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Separate 1/4 of the dough, and roll out the remainder on a lightly floured surface into a 12” round. Transfer to a 9” pie dish. Gently lift edges to allow dough to slump into the dish. Trim any overhang and add to the reserved dough. Separate reserved portion into 4 equal chunks and roll out into thinnish ropes, each about 12 inches long. Twist rope in pairs, then line the border, pressing lightly to affix. Lace ends together for a seamless effect. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour or in freezer 15 minutes.

Line pastry with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until crust is dry at the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove paper and weights and bake until surface of crust looks dry, about 7 minutes more. Brush bottom and sides of crust with 1 beaten egg and sprinkle twisted edge with sugar. Return to oven and bake until dry and set, about 3 minutes. (Brushing crust with egg and then baking prevents a soggy crust.)

Pour maple syrup in a small saucepan and bring syrup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer, stirring occasionally, until syrup has thickened and small puffs of steam release, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add cream in 3 additions, stirring with a silicone spatula after each addition until smooth. Gradually whisk hot maple cream into pumpkin mixture.

Place pie dish on a rimmed baking sheet and pour in filling. Bake pie, rotating halfway through, until set around edge and center jiggles just barely, about 50 minutes. Transfer pie dish to a wire rack and let it cool fully.

Just before serving, sprinkle pie with sugar. Use a kitchen torch, brûlée the sugar to melt and turn into a dark brown "glass" on the surface. I scorched mine in places and the results furthered the overall. A total delight.

If you make the pie, please let me know. I was shocked to realize it's been a year since I made it and plan on remedying that error pronto!

My dear parents arrive tomorrow for a week - to be spent largely in great conversation and similar eating. We will visit family together for Thanksgiving and eat their food, catch up on the year's stories, and return home more full than I prefer. But, there is humanity in connecting with food and folks not exactly like me - something we all could probably benefit from. Happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday, November 9, 2017

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of seeing my work debut for the 2017 New York Times Thanksgiving issue. To have been asked - trusted, even! - with the entire NYT Thanksgiving spread is true affirmation. For that I am over the moon with gratitude.

I single-handedly (with a minor meltdown here or there) cooked, styled, and photographed 9 feast recipes. And then photographed all of them, together. NBD. And then got my act together (aka cleaned my house) to throw a dinner party, since I had enough food to feed a small army.

Here is the full story. Below are some of my favorites with their respective links, should you want to make them!

In other Thanksgiving projects, I have been commissioned for seasonal recipe development with La Tourangelle Artisan Oils, and this month's feature is a turkey of my own design.

It might be my favorite preparation ever. The avocado oil imparts an incredible, softly buttery-nutty quality, and that - paired with the dry brine for extra-crispy skin and the spatchcock method (which ensures even cooking) - makes for perfection. Try it for yourself and see: recipe here.

Another exciting project out now is this beautiful cover, styled+photographed for the holiday issue of Eating Well Magazine. I absolutely love the creative kernel the team presented, and producing it was as much fun as it looks. ;)

Working through so many varied projects, I use the imagination of the above towards my fridge-full of leftovers on repeat... To ultimately create simple and brightly flavorful daily eating. Of course. It is lots of fun to make a special-occasion dish. But! There is a quiet glory in the day-to-day nourishment of food.

This salad one of my go-to type meals, where I pull together a bunch of disparate elements and steer towards a representation by my favorite textures and flavors. Here, crunchy-crispy-creamy-briny-herbacious all get their say. See below for the loose recipe -

Lay down your greens as a base layer. Arrange the crunchy elements around, accented by the wild card elements. In this instance, I drizzled a little pickle brine, along with some good olive oil, and finished the salad simply with lots of fresh cracked pepper and a little sea salt.

To fortify the meal, I made this lentil dip to go alongside and modified it with what was available. In this instance, less cilantro but the addition of parsley, some roasted garlic and plenty of sumac, and foraged wild onion blossoms.

Peeking in on the right are some tortillas leftover from another project, which I pan fried in grapeseed oil until a bit charred and pleasantly crispy, for dipping.

Along the same lines - and perfect at your Thanksgiving table - is this salad, made just today....

Thursday, August 3, 2017

This year has been so busy, that in a search through my archives for a recent project I realized I've been playing catch with food in my fridge on repeat, for months. Catch. Toss. Repeat.

It is true that sometimes I am able make space in my schedule and a grocery run for a deliberate drool-worthy dish (hello peach and squash blossom pizza, 2x!). Usually though, with the juggle of work projects and my abomination of waste, I eat all the leftovers - giving them new leases on life for our daily sustenance.

Really, there are no complaints. Especially fortuitous is that this method has at its foundation, refined my "let's-spontaneously-create-something-amazing" muscle. Lucky for husband and me, we like eating this way.

Last Sunday's breakfast is a perfect example. Freshly harvested squash blossoms from a neighborhood volunteer and the community garden, some plump shiitakes, and things-needing-using-up frittata. The weather was still quite hot so I opted not to turn on the oven, and instead cooked the thing using just the stovetop.

It turned out gloriously. There was a slight crust on the bottom from the hard seared greens + mushrooms, and soft eggy top studded with delicate flowers.

Scroll down for the recipe......

With a much-needed moment of pause between projects - its own sort of vacation before the momentum of fall kicks in - I thought with all the recent Instagram requests to share a few more recipes from the last week or two. These creations happily passed through the kitchen and our bellies, and they are each worth making for yours.

Add to the foundation your mix of "needs-using-up" greens or other support veggies
I had:
a small gem lettuce
wilting arugula
a handful of parsley
the tops from a bunch of amaranth
a few sprigs of thyme
there were also some wayward pepitas and purslane tips (leftovers from a composed salad)

Whisk eggs and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl until frothy. Set aside.

In a medium heavy-bottomed enameled or cast-iron skillet over medium high heat, brown the shiitakes in a small glug of olive oil on all sides, about 7 minutes total. Add gem lettuce or other greens/veg and hard sear without disturbing, for 3-5 minutes.

Lower heat to medium, drizzle olive oil around the perimeter of pan and lean so that pan sides get a light coating in oil. Use tongs or a wide spatula to prevent the cooked veg from spilling out as you do so.

Pour beaten eggs into pan and arrange mushrooms and greens to your liking. Nestle squash blossoms into mixture, followed by thyme sprigs. Season with s+p.

Tilt pan to one side to allow beaten egg to seep to pan edge and repeat on opposite side, until only a very light surface liquid remains. In a circular gliding motion, use the blade of a silicone spatula to separate egg from inner edge of hot pan. Once that is done, after another minute, give the pan a good jostle to ensure frittata is not stuck to pan bottom. If any portion remains stuck, gently glide spatula under frittata to free it.

Drizzle cream over frittata, followed by grated Parm. Lower heat to medium-low and cover, leaving pan lid slightly askew. After 3 minutes longer, frittata should be just-done. Check, cook a couple minutes longer if needed, then remove from heat.

Give a final shower of Parm - to your liking - and cut into wedges. If you are using soft herbs (dill or chives, for example) add them just before serving. Serve warm or room temperature.

Make zoodles - I use a mandoline placed over a bowl. Dress zoodles with the pickle brine and a glug of oil and carefully toss to coat. Season with s+p.

Cut kernels off the cob. Use the freshest available as you won't be cooking the corn, and the juicy sweetness fades over time (leaving only starchiness). Slice snap peas on the diagonal and toss with corn. Season with s+p.

For presentation, shape zoodles into nests on a serving dish and spoon corn-snap pea mixture on top. Add as much freshly cracked pepper as you like, and a sprinkle of flake salt. Scatter parsley and scallions, drizzle all with a little more olive oil and another spoonful or two of brine, and serve at once.

Remove scallops from refrigerator, pat dry, and allow to come to room temp. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.

Trim top and bottom from lemon and place a flat side onto cutting board. Working along the curve, slice skin-pith layer from flesh in strips, turning as you go. Squeeze any juice in the strips into a large bowl then discard. Cut lemon into supremes into the bowl, then squeeze the juice from the membrane.

Cut fennel in half lengthwise. Use a mandoline placed over the bowl to shave fennel, reserving the fronds. Add a drizzle of oil and the mustard, and season with s+p. Gently toss the mixture to combine.

Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until near smoking. Add a glug of olive oil and quickly swirl, then place scallops into pan equidistant from one another. They should immediately vigorously sizzle. After a minute or two - do not disturb them - add 1 tbsp butter, dragging it in between each scallop.

Sear for 3 more minutes, tilting pan once or twice to keep the hot fat flowing around them. Turn scallops over and baste their caramelized surfaces with spoonfuls of the hot fat. Repeat basting as you sear for one minute longer, then remove scallops from heat, transfer to a plate, and pour pan juices over.

Cut peaches into slices. On two plates, divide fennel mixture and layer with peach slices and reserved fennel fronds, and nestle scallops on top, pouring the pan juices over all. Add a final sprinkle of sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, and eat at once.

I am a huge fan of mixing dough by hand but truly have not had the time in recent day-to-day work. If you prefer to make dough that way, bravo. Click here for a bit of guidance.

Pulse dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor to combine. Add butter and pulse in 3 second intervals until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with numerous pea-sized bits. Drizzle in the yogurt with the machine running at 3 second intervals until the dough holds together. Be careful not to over-mix. To test: remove processor top and if when squeezed, it holds together, it is ready. If not, add a small drizzle more, pulsing as you do so.

Empty dough out onto cellophane laid onto your work surface, into two equal piles. Work all the bits in one pile together into a cohesive ball, then flatten into a disk and wrap securely. Repeat with the second pile. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes for the dough to mellow, up to 3 days in advance. If you don't have another galette waiting in the wings for the second disk, it can be frozen (wrap in a layer of foil and then a resealable plastic bag) for up to 3 months.

For the fruit filling, combine all ingredients and gently toss to coat. You can do this step a day in advance.

Remove the dough from refrigerator 10 minutes before you plan to roll it out. On lightly floured parchment, roll dough, making a 1/8 turn with each pass of the rolling pin. Be deliberate - if dough is too cold it will split as you roll. If it is too warm it will smear. Transfer dough to a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate if too warm, or give it another minute or two sitting on your work surface if too cold.

When ready, dough should be 1/8-1/4 inch thick, about 14 inches across. Leave a 3-inch border all around and make a shallow pile of the fruit mixture in the center. Reserve most of the liquid for just before baking.

Fold pastry onto fruit, gathering and pleating as you go. Seal creases together with a light paint of water and pressure from your fingers. On the baking sheet, transfer galette to the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, up to overnight, or freeze for 1/2 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Before placing galette in the oven, whisk together the fruit juices/tapioca/sugar mixture and carefully spoon it over the fruit. Beat egg, paint eggwash all over pastry, then sprinkle Demerara sugar for a light, glittery coating.

Bake for 30 minutes until golden, checking after 20 for even browning. Reduce the temperature to 375 once the crust has become golden brown, baking until the juices bubble, about 10-15 minutes more.

Cool galette completely on a wire rack. Slice and serve plain, or with ice cream or crème fraîche.

Now I want to make each of these again and relive the delight they provided me the first time 'round....

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Three cheers for Spring! I'm one of those people who doesn't really go for winter, but understand that I live in the northeast and so do what you do - prepare for it, get cozy, eat soothing foods, embrace the shorter days with more at-home enjoyment. But by February every year, I feel kinda hateful. All that grey - on top of the chill - just gets me down.

So when I saw the first stalks of crimson rhubarb at my local specialty market I seized on them. At home, I lingered on how I could give them best expression and when I landed on this upside-down cake, it was a done deal. It is pretty amazing. Worth doing on repeat. I've even been thinking about using the basic recipe towards stone fruit such as plums when they come into season, as well as grapes. If you make it, I'd love to hear how you like it too.

To the grey, happily moving (mostly) along by now... a dear friend was set to get married in March, out in California. I hadn't been there in years - good enough reason to go - never mind that I couldn't miss her most special day. So sweet husband and I decided to make a layered experience of the trip... and we did that in spades.

To our good fortune, the onslaught of rain the previous month made for some of the most epic, abundant blooms we've ever seen. I can recall a few instances where we had to pick our jaws up off the ground at how beautiful it all was. And the sunshine! So abundant and warming, just when we needed it most (we escaped NY on a 39 degree very rainy day).

Here are some favorite moments. You'll pardon me that there are so many, I hope. It was all of a dream - so good in fact, we've talked since about moving there. Time will tell, but the winds of change are definitely a-blowing...

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and line an 8-inch springform pan with parchment. Butter the parchment and sides of pan.

Toss the rhubarb and the brown sugar together in a bowl. Arrange the rhubarb segments into a radial shape at the bottom of the pan. Scrape any sugar left in the bowl into the pan amidst the rhubarb.

Using a fork, stir the flour, baking powder, and salt to incorporate. In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla and then the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

Stir in the kefir on low speed (the mixture may look curdled, which is fine). Gradually add the flour mixture and mix to combine. Spoon the batter over the rhubarb and spread to even out.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then run a thin knife along the circumference before releasing springform collar. Invert cake onto a platter. Peel away parchment paper and cut cake into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.

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About Me

I am a food and still life photographer, with a little travel and lifestyle thrown into the mix. My passion for all things visual brought me here, and my penchant for eating well has helped me hone my skills at sourcing, cooking, and styling most of what you see.
This blog is the latest in my adventures in food - whether a new ingredient I've discovered, someone who inspires my outlook, or a tasty meal I found time and fortune to create. If asked about what you last made for yourself, think about it as if it speaks to your deepest self – after all, that’s what eating and making food is about.

please be kind

If you wish to use my photos or content, please credit me wherever they are placed. For commercial use of my content, please contact me about licensing agreements and rates via email at info@melinaphotos.com. Thank you!